Reel



REEL

2 Sheet-Shee't 2 Filed March 29, 1957 Patented Mar. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REEL Hayward, deceased,

assignor to R. B. Hayward Company, a corporation of Illinois Application March 29,

6 Claims.

My invention relates to metal reels provided, for example, for the winding thereon of electric cables, or the like.

One of my objects is to provide a novel, simple,

and relatively light weight construction of reel of the minimum number of parts, which may be manufactured at less cost than similar constructions as hitherto provided and will be of rugged construction and present a high degree of J strength and durability.

Another object relates more particularly to the tread portion of the reel; it being an object in this connection to provide a simple form of tread, reinforced to cause it to present a high degree '1 of stiflness at the portions thereof which would otherwise be unduly weak, and of such construction as will lend itself to being economically constructed of a metal highly resistant to permanent distortion under impacts to which it is subjected in use, such as for example high carbon steel.

Still another object in this connection is to provide a tread of such shape as will permit the reel not only to be rolled along the ground, but also readily turned in a horizontalplane on the round to facilitate its movement into a desired location or position; and other objects as will be manifest from the following description:

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a view in end elevation of a reel constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation, partly sectional, of the reel shown in Fig. l, the view being taken at the irregular line 22 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 3, an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken at the irregular line 3 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Referring to the particular illustrated embodiment of my invention, the reel shown comprises a hub portion 4 shown as formed of a cylindrical drum of sheet metal provided at its opposite ends with inwardly projecting flanges, the flange for one end of the drum being shown at 5.

The reel also comprises heads represented gen erally at 6 and each comprising a centrally located arbor tube 7 surrounded by spaced apart rings 8 and 9 continuously welded thereto at H] and II, respectively.

Radiating from the arbor tube 1 and welded 50 to the rings 8 and 9, as indicated at [2 and I3, respectively, are spokes l4 shown as of hollow sheet metal construction of substantially square shape in cross section.

The spokes I4 extend outwardly against the tread portion of the head shown as formed of a 1937, Serial No. 133,733

ring IS in the form of a plain band, as distinguished from a band having an inwardly extending flange, or flanges, and preferably having its corner-edges rounded as shown.

The spokes M are welded at the outer surfaces of their outer endsv along three sides of the spokes as represented of the outer sides at Hi, the fourth, inner, side of each spoke being cut away adjacent the tread, as represented at I! of the spokes shown in Fig. 2, to receive the continuous inwardly extending flange IS on the outer periphery of an inner side-Wall-forming plate, or sheath IS, the flange l8 lapping the inner surface of the tread and welded thereto as indicated at l8.

The sheath I 9 is provided in the form of an annulus and is secured at its inner periphery between the spokes l4 and the flange 5 by means of a plurality of tie rods. The tie rods pass through the flange 5 and the sheath l9 and also through openings in arcuate angle bars 2| disposed in a circumferential series in the spaces between adjacent ones of the spokes l4 and welded at their ends to the spokes and flatwise engaging the outer face of the sheath l9; thus the tierods 20 serve to rigidly clamp the heads 6 to the drum l4.

Located in the several spaces between the spokes l4 adjacent their outer ends, is a circumferential series of plate-like gusset-forming members 22 having curved outer edges 23 at which they conformingly fit against the curved inner face of the tread member [5 preferably midway between the lateral edges of the tread. The gusset members 22 are preferably deeper between their ends than at their ends as shown, the inner edge portions of these members being preferably straight, as represented at 24, thereby causing these members to present a greater depth midway between their ends than at their ends thus providing extra reinforcing metal where the tread portion I5 is the weakest.

The gusset members 22 are welded at their outer curved edge portions to the inner face of the tread portion l5, as for example as indicated at 25, and at their ends are welded to the sides of the spokes M as indicated at 26.

The outer peripheral portion of the tread at which it engages the ground is preferably crowned as shown whereby the tread engages the ground at a relatively narrow area of the tread, as distinguished from the broad area arrangement where a flat tread is used; thus greatly facilitating the swinging of the reel in. a horizontal plane in moving it to a particular location or into a desired position.

The crowned formation referred to may be produced in any desirable way, but preferably by initially providing the member I5 of flat shape and transversely bending it to the desired form as by a stamping operation.

The structure of head provided as described is of skeleton form comprising a hub portion, spokes, and a gusset-reinforced tread portion, it being my purpose in the designing of the reel for any given load, to figure these elements as taking all of the stresses to be resisted by the head structure, it being understood from the foregoing that a relatively light tread member [5 may be provided in view of the engagement of the spokes therewith at given points and the provision of the gusset members 22 which in effect constitute flanges of the tread member thereby directly stiffening and reinforcing this member; these gusset members also furnishing added service in causing the head structure to be durable and highly resistant to stresses, as they fill the spaces between adjacent spokes and thus brace the latter.

The feature of providing the tread member l5 as a plain, viz., a fiangeless, member is of considerable practical importance. It permits of this member being formed from a strip or bar of high carbon steel, or what is termed tire steel, by cutting it to length and forming it into a circle of the desired diameter and then welding its ends together; a forming operation not possible in the case of a flanged bar or strip of high carbon steel and one which is more economical than the operation of forming a flanged strip or bar into a ring even when. of low carbon steel. The gusset-forming members 22 may be of any suitable metal and of any desired thickness it having been found desirable in practice to provide the gussets of low carbon steel and of less thickness than the tread portion; as for example, and in accordance with a certain practical embodiment of the invention, the gussets may be approximately T g inch thick, and the tread portion l5, with which they are used, inch thick.

This not only makes for economy in the material used in the constructing of the reel, but also minimizes the number of operations necessary to construct the reel and in general simplifies its manufacture.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction embodying my invention I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto, as the same may be variously modified and altered without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A. head construction for reels comprising radial spokes, a circular plain band tread portion surrounding, and secured to, the ends of said spokes, and stiffening plate portions between, and secured at their ends to, said spokes, said plate portions being rigidly connected at their outer edges to the inner face of said tread portion.

2. A head construction for reels comprising radial spokes, a circular plain band tread portion surrounding, and secured to, the ends of said spokes, and stiffening plate portions between, and secured at their ends to, said spokes, said plate portions being rigidly connected at their outer edges to the inner face of said tread portion substantially midway between the lateral edges. of said tread portion.

3. A head construction for reels comprising radial spokes, a circular plain band tread portion surrounding, and secured to, the ends of said spokes, and stiffening plate. portions between, and secured at their ends to, said spokes, said plate portions being rigidly connected at their outer edges to the inner face of said tread portion, the outer periphery of said tread portion being of such shape as to present to the ground'a bearing surface of less width than said tread portion.

4. A head construction for reels comprising radial spokes, a circular plain band tread portion surrounding, and secured to, the ends of said spokes, and stiffening plate portions between, and secured at their ends to, said spokes, said plate portions being rigidly connected at their outer edges to the inner face of said tread portion, said tread portion being crowned.

5. A head construction for reels comprising radial spokes, a circular plain band tread portion of high carbon steel surrounding, and secured to, the ends of said spokes, and stiiiening plate portions between, and secured at their ends to, said spokes, said plate portions being rigidly connected at their outer edges to the inner face of said tread portion.

6. A head construction for reels comprising radial spokes, a circular plain band tread portion surrounding, and secured to, the ends of said spokes, and stiiiening plate portions between, and secured at their ends to, said spokes, said plate portions being rigidly connected at their outer edges to the inner face of said tread portion, said plate portions being of less thickness than said tread portion.

RALPH B. HAYWARD. 

